DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released its National Player of the Week awards for the period ending April 26. Evansville senior outfielder Kevin Kaczmarski was named National Hitter of the Week, while South Alabama senior RHP Kevin Hill was named National Pitcher of the Week. The NCBWA Board reviews candidates from each Division I Conference each week and names winners each Tuesday throughout the season.
Kaczmarski hit a team best .667 (12-for-18), leading the Purple Aces in runs (six), hits (12), doubles (4), triples (1), home runs (1), runs batted in (6), total bases (21), slugging percentage (1.167), hit by pitch (1), on-base percentage (.684) and stolen bases (1). He began the week by tallying three hits, just a triple short of the cycle in a 9-6 win over Northern Kentucky on April 22. Kaczmarski totaled two runs scored, a double, home run, and two runs batted in. He added another three hit day with a run scored, double, and RBI on Friday night at Bradley. After another hit on Saturday, The Cary, Il., native ended his week by going 5-for-5 at Bradley on Sunday. He was just a home run shy of being the first Purple Ace in program history to achieve the cycle. Kaczmarski collected two doubles and a triple in the 10-0, seven inning road win over the Braves. Kaczmarski has now hit safely in 14 consecutive games.
Hill did not allow a hit until the top of the ninth when Ryan Blanton singled to shallow left-center field, just out of the grasp of Jaguar shortstop Ryan Raspino. The Oklahoma City native finished with 15 strikeouts against four walks to record his second complete game of the season, and fourth of his career, while picking up his seventh consecutive win in as many starts. Hill issued a two-out walk in the top of the third, then settled in to retire the next 16 Panthers he faced before issuing a leadoff walk in the eighth.
Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport. For more information about the NCBWA, visit the association's official Web site, www.ncbwa.com.
For more information on the NCBWA Division I National Players of the Week, contact NCBWA Assistant Executive Director Mike Montoro at West Virginia University at 304-293-2821.
2015 NCBWA Division I Players of the Week:
Feb. 15: Eric Gutierrez, Texas Tech (Hitter); Luke Gillingham, Navy (Pitcher)
· Feb. 22: KJ Harrison, Oregon State (Hitter); Preston Morrison, TCU (Pitcher)
· March 1: Braden Bishop, Washington (Hitter); Alex Robinett, Army (Pitcher)
· March 8: Dante Flores, USC (Hitter); Carson Cross, Connecticut (Pitcher)
· March 15: David Thompson, Miami (Hitter); Chris Chism, Tennessee Tech (Pitcher)
· March 22: DJ Stewart, Florida State (Hitter); Drew Rasmussen, Oregon State (Pitcher)
· March 29: Chris Shaw, Boston College (Hitter); James McMahon, Southern Miss (Pitcher)
· April 5: Christin Stewart, Tennessee (Hitter); James Reeves, The Citadel (Pitcher)
· April 12: JJ Schwarz, Florida (Hitter); Anthony Kay, Connecticut (Pitcher)
· April 26: Kevin Kaczmarski, Evansville (Hitter); Kevin Hill, South Alabama (Pitcher)
· May 5: Clayton Meyer, Morehead State and Bryce Greager, Nevada (Hitter); Matt Hall, Missouri State (Pitcher)
· May 12: Jeff Boehm, UIC (Hitter); Thomas Eshelman, Cal State Fullerton (Pitcher)
· May 19: Tyler Lawrence, Murray State (Hitter); James Kaprielian, UCLA (Pitcher)